Where DoesSchool Money Go? Not To Teachers, Study Shows (NAPSA)—There are a little over F 3 million teachers in America’s public schools and for the majority of them, interacting with childrenis the best part of the job. That's just as well, since for too many, salary and working conditions are pretty poor. In fact, for more than 20 years, teacher salaries have not even been keeping up with the cost ofinflation. According to a recent report by Benja- min Scafidi, Ph.D., a professorof eco- nomics at Kennesaw State University, there's been a great TeacherSalary Stag- nation and between 1992 and 2014,real averagesalaries for public school teachersactually fell by 2 percent. Where The Money Went While spending on education has risen in many states, instead ofincreas- ingteachersalaries, the public schools added personnel at a rate almost four times that of student enrollment growth—andthese new hires were dis- proportionately nonteachers. If this increase in “other staff” had. matchedstudentenrollment growth, the schools would have saved almost $35 billion a year. That could have meantan $11,100 raise for every teacher or education savings accounts (ESAs)for more than 4 million studentsto offset tuition payments at private schools, to save for college, or to pay for other educa- tionalservices, therapies, curricula and materials, Essentially, taxpayers spent a lot moreperstudent, butteachersdidn’t see muchofit. That may be onereason so manyschoolsystems have been seeing teacherstrikeslately. WhatStudents Got What's more,this had no measurable If parents had a greatersay in where education money goes, teachers and students would both be better off, a professor contends. positive effect on students. National Assessment of Educational Progress Long-Term Trend scores for 17-year- olds fell by three points in reading and areflat in mathematics since 1992. What Can Be Done Dr. Scafidi suggested states should expandschoolchoice andcreate incen- tives for schools to compete for teacher talentand students. How? By empowering parents to choose the best educational fit for their kids—andallowing thefunding to follow them.This, Dr. Scafidi said, lets families, not bureaucrats, decide where and how schooldollars are spent. And if schools aren't paying teachers what they deserve, those teachers should be able to teach where they'll be paid for their hard work. Learn More Dr.Scafidi’s research was published. by EdChoice, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing full and unencumbered educational choiceas the best pathwayto successful lives and a strongersociety. To read the entire report, go to wwweedchoice.org/ StaffingSurge.
